Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has announced he will leave the club at the end of the Premier League season in May.
The Austrian, 51, met with club chairman Steve Parish in October to discuss his future at the FA Cup holders – currently 13th in the top flight with no wins in their past six.
It comes as Manchester City have agreed a £20m deal in principle for centre-back and captain Marc Guéhi, who had entered the final six months of his own deal.
However, Glasner assured that the months-long transfer saga had no effect on his decision to seek a new challenge, which came as a surprise to the Palace squad.
He said: “I told Steve I am looking for a new challenge. That is my feeling after everything.
“It is nothing to do with transfer window, I hate when something is written or talked that is not true – it was very tough for me not to respond.
“It was for all of us us surprising. We had a meeting as normal – players little surprised.”
Glasner joined the Eagles in February 2024, with the club sat in a rather characteristic 11th place in the Premier League, after lifting the Europa League with Frankfurt in 2022.
He has overseen a remarkable spell, winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield this calendar year – propelling the club to Europe for the first time in 27 years.
With the news of his exit, the London club’s supporters will also be met with the rare sight of Guéhi’s absence during their visit to high-flyers Sunderland on Saturday.
Analysis: What now for Palace?
Football moves rather quickly, with no better example in recent years than Crystal Palace.
Fans would often joke between themselves that no matter what, the Eagles would be mired in mid-table mediocracy for the rest of time.
Enter Oliver Glasner – now one of, if not the best manager in their history.
But just as dizzyingly fast as their success has been, Palace’s future now seems precarious: Marc Guéhi is moving on with the Austrian, who also confirmed that French striker Jean Philippe-Mateta would be sold if a high enough bid is submitted while the window is open.
Although the club’s supporters have reason for concern, he recalled the sales of first team stars Michael Olise to Bayern Munich and Ebere Eze to leaders Arsenal – from which, the former transfer at least, they have got on just fine.
As for Mateta, there is no doubt that the club will need to ensure they rebuild their quality in depth up front given how crucial his goas and strong presence up front has been.
Only time will tell as to whether other players will be tempted by a move away, with the Glasner project ending after the final game of the season.
And as this just goes to show, things might progress, or indeed regress, very swiftly indeed.